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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22544827">Winter, before the spring</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiteandmalice/pseuds/spiteandmalice'>spiteandmalice</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Breathplay, Come Sharing, Dark Side Rey, F/M, Kylo Amidala, M/M, Mild BDSM, Multi, Orgasm Control, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Polyamory, Reylux - Freeform, Three people who care for each other and want to take over the galaxy together, Threesome, senator kylo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:54:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,130</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22544827</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiteandmalice/pseuds/spiteandmalice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Senator Kylo Amidala is trying to renegotiate a contract with his First Order contact, General Hux and his co-commander, Rey.</p>
<p>They don't realise it yet, but this meeting will change the galaxy as they know it forever.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren/Rey, Armitage Hux/Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>85</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Please tell me if I've undertagged anything. </p>
<p>tw: Snoke commits some canon-typical violence off-screen, the poly aspect of one relationship is not fully negotiated at first, BDSM scenes are not fully explained to participants (but all are happy to proceed and Rey can read minds so can tell true consent), some alcohol is consumed prior to sex: but no one is drunk when having sex.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>Hux messages that he’ll be dropping by Kylo’s apartment on Hosnian Prime that evening, citing a need to discuss tomorrow’s Senate vote. The vote is on the rate of export tax of certain foods, so Kylo’s not entirely sure why Hux’s coming, it’s not a usual priority of the First Order. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s also not the usual place for one of their </span>
  <em>
    <span>special </span>
  </em>
  <span>appointments of angry discussions that mostly end in sex. These usually occur in Kylo’s office, and once, memorably in the back of a taxi. Kylo had made the driver forget what he’d seen using the Force and Hux had watched with interest, had asked Kylo questions about his powers, about his mother. Not quite the pillow talk Kylo wanted, but he’d indulged Hux’s curiosity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo’s tired tonight after the long hours he’s required to put in at the Senate but he’ll sleep better after a good orgasm, and he’s been meaning to talk to Hux about the credits the First Order were giving to ensure Kylo voted in line with their policies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slips into something more comfortable, and far more revealing, smoothes his curls down with his fingers. When the door buzzes, Kylo lets Hux in eagerly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux removes his greatcoat, carefully places it over the arm of his chair. Kylo notes with disappointment that the bruise he’d carefully sucked into Hux’s skin above his collar last week was faded now, only leaving a slight hint of shadow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I brought wine for our... discussion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux passes him the bottle. It’s a decent choice, from an exclusive vineyard, but a grape that’s easily drinkable, rather than a status symbol. Kylo opens it, pours them both a glass, sprawls onto his couch. Kylo knows he looks good, he leans back, lets the robe fall open just a fraction. Just a tease. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not much to discuss, Hux. You know I want to keep working with the First Order, but recently it’s not been worth my while. I’ve been offered more credits by Kanjiklub. Let’s discuss it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo pats the couch next to him, but Hux doesn’t take the invitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re offering you more than enough credits, don’t be greedy. You don’t need the money.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not greed, Hux, it’s simply business. What is my vote worth to you? My time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux sips his wine. “Kanjiklub will screw you over at the first chance they get. You know my offer is fair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo laughs. “Nothing about the First Order is ever fair. Don’t patronise me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. Same offer and we’ll fund your reelection.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo pretends to contemplate this for a moment. “I reject your offer. Thanks for dropping by, General.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo leans over, pours himself another glass of wine. The outright rejection hasn’t phased Hux, he merely ignores Kylo and instead taps something into his datapad. This is the usual point where Hux gets angry, and gets close to Kylo, they argue for a while and it ends with Kylo on his hands and knees begging for Hux’s cock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s needy. He knows this. He’s not ashamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The datapad bleeps and Hux opens Kylo’s front door. “I’ve got someone you need to meet before I leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A woman steps into the apartment and the first thing Kylo notices is that she’s pretty. She’s wearing a First Order officer uniform but without rank bands, her hair pulled back into a neat row of three buns, under a standard command cap. It’s not a regulation hairstyle, and there’s something </span>
  <em>
    <span>off </span>
  </em>
  <span>about her that makes Kylo think she’s not what she seems to be. An assassin? Not Hux’s style, he’d happily gut Kylo himself. A bribe? Threesome? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman makes eye contact with Kylo, stares at Kylo like she’s trying to look through him. All thoughts of sex fly from his mind at her gaze, it’s an unnerving feeling, and Kylo’s brought back to when he was a child and Luke would look at him the same way, as if he could see down to little Ben’s soul, stare right through his bones and sinews of muscle until he could see his rotten core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that was a long time ago, and Kylo’s not Ben anymore. Luke has vanished years ago, the Jedi are over. Kylo gives her his most charming smile and she doesn’t react, doesn’t even blink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Senator, this is Rey. My co-commander on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Finalizer</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey…?” Kylo prompts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiles tightly. “Just Rey.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo takes a mouthful of his wine and watches her over the rim of his glass while he savours the flavour. She stares back, undaunted by his gaze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux continues. “Rey, this is Senator Kylo Amidala. He’s Darth Vader’s grandson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo chokes on his wine, sloshes it over his wrist and onto his lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Excuse</span>
  </em>
  <span> me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux smiles at Kylo’s reaction. “Do you deny it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo splutters, slams his glass down so hard on the table the stem snaps off, red wine spilling everywhere like blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who told you? How- no-one knows, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no-one</span>
  </em>
  <span>-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The First Order knows everything. I thought that would be obvious by now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo stands, paces the room. Rey watches him, as if he was prey, as if she had come just to watch and wait for him to make a wrong move. Hux merely lifts the glass he was drinking from earlier and drains it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I take our offer is more than acceptable now, Senator? Or shall I have a chat about your ah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>heritage </span>
  </em>
  <span>with some other senators?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo sneers at them both. “I don’t think I have a choice. I accept.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux smiles, picks up his greatcoat, shrugs into it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Correct answer. See you soon, Senator.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey gives him a sloppy salute as they leave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo smashes the rest of the bottle into the door as it closes behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux sends messages about votes, almost randomly chosen. Kylo obeys to the letter, writes impassioned speeches to sway the others to vote alongside him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a few weeks until Hux makes plans to call to Kylo’s office and Kylo deliberately wears a full gown, body completely covered in thick weaves of fabric, as if that would dissuade Hux. He can’t sit in it, so he perches by his desk, full skirt ballooning out around him, keeping Hux a step away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want, General?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I appreciated your speech today about the free movement of people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo shrugs. “It’s what you asked for. Can’t exactly dismiss a direct order from someone holding my family’s history like a blaster to my temple, can I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux has the gall to laugh. “You’re describing it like it’s life or death. It’s merely business, like you’ve said before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>life or death to me. If that particular fact came out I’d lose my position as Senator. It’d bring shame on my family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux makes a face, that on another man could be seen as sympathy, but Kylo knows better. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d have to get a real job. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And your poor mother would be heartbroken, she’d lose her Senate seat too, lose all those allies she’s trying to summon up to take down the First Order.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo inhales sharply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe you. You’re too blinkered to see what your mother has been trying to do. Some of the votes we’ve gotten you to cast have been against her allies, rather than for the Order’s direct benefit. It was obvious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo flushes, looks down at the floor. “I just...I didn’t think of the reasoning behind it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux reaches over and lifts Kylo’s chin up. “It’s fine, you’ve done well for us. I won’t tell anyone about Granddaddy Vader.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo hates the fact he leans his face into Hux’s hand, hates that he wants Hux to praise him. Hux rubs his thumb over Kylo’s bottom lip, smudging the lipstick Kylo had carefully lined and Kylo nips at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve done well for us, Kylo. Let me reward you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes Hux two attempts to get under Kylo’s skirts but he does eventually. The first hot, wet touch of his mouth to Kylo’s cock makes Kylo moan, so he bites his own hand, lest Hux hears it. He’s still mad at him for the blackmail attempt, but they’ve done this dance so many times Hux knows exactly how Kylo likes it, and it’s been a few weeks and despite Kylo’s once well-deserved reputation, there’s been no one but Hux for a very, very long time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s on the verge of coming, when the door to the office slides open. Kylo looks up in horror to see Rey enter. Rey looks down at Kylo’s skirts, Hux’s feet clearly sticking out and she puts two and two together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey takes a seat and leans back, clearly enjoying the show. Kylo should tell Hux to stop, inform him Rey is here but instead he’s biting down on his hand again, body twitching as he comes, hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Hux emerges, his hair is a mess and his face is red but he doesn’t seem surprised to see Rey. He wipes his mouth on Kylo’s skirts, turns to see Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, you’re a little early Rey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grins and winks at Kylo. “Nah, right on time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo can do nothing but stand there, mortified.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux gets to his feet. “I’ve asked Rey here tonight because we need to discuss your powers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo frowns. “Why? I don’t really have powers. I mean, I have access to the Force, but I didn’t train. I’m not a Jedi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey rolls her eyes at the mention of the Jedi. She lazily stretches one hand out, makes the stationary and data pad on Kylo’s desk float and spin in the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo watches the items gently land back down. “...but you’re not a Jedi either.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope. Jedi, Sith- they’re all in the past. I’m something different. Something more. You could be too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo reaches out, finds her easily in the Force, bright and burning. He feels ridiculous for not seeing it at their previous meeting, she’s the strongest Force user he’s ever met, by far. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She presses back gently, tendrils snaking around his body, pressing into the edges of his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux looks between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you two done? I’m proposing you take Rey as a new assistant. That way she’ll have access to the Senators, can nudge a few more votes towards the goals of the First Order.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>asking </span>
  </em>
  <span>me, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>telling </span>
  </em>
  <span>me to take her on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux shrugs. “I trust you’ll make the right choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need a new assistant anyway. Alice quit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux smiles. “I know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo realises Alice’s sudden resignation might not have been her own choice. He tries to smile back at Hux, but fails. It’s going to end badly for someone, likely Kylo, if he gets further involved in Hux’s schemes and plans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But what choice does he have?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey turns up for work the next morning and Kylo almost doesn’t recognise her. She’s wearing a soft beige tunic and trousers, hair loose in waves. She smiles brightly at him as she enters his office clutching a datapad and two takeaway caf cups, the very picture of an earnest assistant.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pushes one of the caf cups towards Kylo, then sits in the same chair she watched Kylo from the previous night and Kylo feels a little sick. The situation he had with Hux was private, he never expected anyone else to know what they did in secret. He sips his caf and it’s exactly how he takes it, sweet and strong, a hint of caramel. He wonders what else she pulled from his mind. He puts the cup down, suddenly queasy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She powers up the datapad and starts typing quickly, ignoring him, taking big gulps from her own cup between flicking through messages. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, uh, Rey, where are you from?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t look up from her furious tapping on the datapad. “The hellhole that is Jakku. I joined the Order when I was ten, maybe eleven?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And have they used you as a weapon since? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kylo doesn’t say out loud but Rey stops typing, instead narrows her eyes at him, jovial attitude gone in the blink of an eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard that. The Order saved my life. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>liberated </span>
  </em>
  <span>me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Most planets call what the Order do kidnapping, people trafficking. It’s not liberation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey bares her teeth at him and Kylo feels the lightest squeeze at his throat, so gentle he almost thinks it’s his imagination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yet you work for them? I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>liberated</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I was abandoned by my parents, my powers were wasted in the desert. The Order has raised me, trained me. What they want from me is exactly what I want too: Order in the galaxy. So places like Jakku aren’t wastelands children suffer and die on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t. You’ve never wanted for anything in your entire life. You had food in your belly every night, medical care, parents who loved you. I was scraping my palms raw every day picking pieces of scrap so I could eat, hoping the cuts wouldn’t get infected because I couldn’t afford bacta </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>portions. Hux slept on the floor, like a dog, eating whatever scraps his father would give him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand. I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey laughs then, anger seemingly forgotten, twists her fingers towards him. He barely has time to breathe before images flood his mind: of sandstorms, the grabby hands of vendors, of vast ship graveyards stretching out for miles. Then waves of sensation: the chill of nights, the blistering heat of the day, hunger so deep he doubles over in his chair, holds his belly as if he can physically fight the phantom sensation off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Okay. I’m sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jakku vanishes from his mind and his office comes back into focus. He feels guilty that he’s taken the Order’s credits to buy clothing, shoes, to pay for lavish dinners and cocktails. She joined to survive, and has somehow thrived, fought tooth and claw and climbed to the top. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want us to have a good relationship, Kylo. Like Hux and you have."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He coughs at that. "As you are aware, Hux and I have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>certain</span>
  </em>
  <span> type of relationship."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So? We could too. I think you're pretty. And you’re strong in the Force, you're far more interesting than anyone else I’ve met in years. Plus I've been sharing Hux with you all this time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo feels his heart stop. He'd been exclusive with Hux for over a year, had turned down a dozen people, chances at potential real relationships, for a scattering of snatched orgasms after hours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey correctly reads his expression. "Did you think you and Hux had something special? Is that why you've been working for the Order? For </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn't answer, stares intently at his caf cup while she gently prods at his mind. She's highly skilled at this, if he wasn't Force sensitive and expecting it, he'd never have sensed it. He can see how Hux's plan of influencing the Senate will work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey stands then. “Drink your caf. We need to be going, the committee meets in twenty minutes, I need to brief you on the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo obeys her, sweetened caf tasting bitter now in his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey blends into Senate life easily, the Senators ignore her as just another assistant, the other assistants invite her for lunch and Kylo can hear her laugh across the cafeteria, see the other assistants smile at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo picks at his food, gives up and goes back to his office to work on his next speech. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey doesn’t show up for another three hours. Kylo looks up as she comes into the office, not bothering to knock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you were my real assistant you’d be fired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waves a hand. “There’s three lunch cycles, I had to be there for them all. Meet everyone. Plus the food’s pretty good here, I wanted to try all the options.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this part of Hux’s plan? You spend your time socializing with the assistants, eating cakes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously. Hux’s plan is infiltration and suggestion. The assistants are the perfect gateway to Senators. What would you have me do, turn up on the Senate floor and try to sway the entire Senate that way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The </span>
  <em>
    <span>entire </span>
  </em>
  <span>Senate?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey flushes. “I meant that rhetorically.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, you’re going to help me, help the Order, so shove your morals in a little box and focus on the task at hand, okay? You’ve never had qualms about taking Order money before for votes, why is this different?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo doesn’t answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey stretches out on his couch, shoves a cushion under her head. “I’m having a nap. Wake me before you leave.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a blanket on the other chair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waves a hand and the blanket floats over to her, spreads over her body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. And think about it okay?” She yawns. “What I said about you joining us? The three of us could be great together, strong. The Order always welcomes power. You could follow in Vader’s footsteps. At the very least, listen to the Force, you’ve been denying your power for far too long.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo thinks about the visions he’d had once, of being dressed all in black, holding a glossy black and silver mask, the world around him lit by a red lightsaber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s snoring before he can respond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few weeks Kylo starts to notice tiny cracks in the system- a senator that is usually outspoken against movement of people suddenly wants exceptions for skilled engineering labour; another senator who controls mining planets is very happy to export specialist drilling equipment to an unknown bidder and to take the tax hit to do so. None of it makes sense to Kylo, it’s not the usual weapons-and-soldiers combo that the Order is known for, that he’s voted for previously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey purposely avoids Leia, so one afternoon when Rey suddenly drops her datapad and leaves without saying a word he’s not surprised when it’s Leia that knocks on the door a few moments later, before pushing it open. Kylo’s pacing the room, rehearsing a speech Hux has written for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi Ben, how are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine, mom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stretches up onto her tip-toes, brushes the back of her hands against his forehead, touches both cheeks. He can feel her pressing with the Force. He’s never been able to sense that before, not from her. How often has she done that? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re running a bit warm, Ben. Maybe take a few days off? I’ve noticed you’ve been working a lot of hours recently.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She drops her hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. I’ll see you for Chewie’s birthday?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia looks around the room once, eyes briefly resting on the extra data pad chucked on the armchair and leaves without saying anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey returns a moment later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Organa gone? Good. I was talking to Keren, there’s a party tonight, everyone’s going.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey pouts. “It’d be weird if I went without you. I need to meet certain people, this is the perfect chance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve nothing new to wear and everytime I go to one of these events I get cornered by a retired senator telling me how I’m doing everything wrong and that I should be more like my mother. No thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey rolls her eyes. She’s wearing a variation on her usual beige outfit: a simple shift dress, boots. Kylo thinks she’s got maybe three outfits, apart from her Order uniform. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got more outfits than the Order has TIEs, you’ll find something. And I’ll protect you against old senators.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They ride together in silence to Kylo’s apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes a quick sonic, wraps a towel around his waist. Rey’s sitting on his bed when he emerges from the refresher. She gives him an appraising look that makes him flush. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you to wait in the kitchen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugs. “And miss out on this? Nah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He plucks a flowing golden gown that he’d only worn once from his closet, retreats back into the ‘fresher to change. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he comes back out Rey’s on the floor, with a knife in her hand, cutting the bottom length off a deep blue robe Kylo had worn to a fundraiser recently, hacking the fabric in little slashing tears like one might do to meat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the-stop, let me do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He digs in a drawer, finds a fabric scissors, snips a straight line across so the ends will barely brush the floor as she walks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s not expecting her to immediately tug her own dress up over her head and drop it on the floor. She’s not wearing a bra, and he glances away. The wall facing his bed is fully mirrored, so unless he turns fully away he catches glimpses of her skin out of the corner of his eye. He refuses to turn. He’s not scared of her nudity. (He’s scared by </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not some skin).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a nice colour on her, but far too loose in the shoulders, cut for Kylo’s wider frame and starts to slide off her shoulders. She frowns and begins to wriggle out of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo places a hand on her bared shoulder and refuses to acknowledge to himself how warm her skin is under his fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, I can fix this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finds a jewelled belt, wraps it under her bust, pulls it tight, lets the shoulders drape open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey peeks at herself in the mirror. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulls her hair up into a messy bun. “Hey, Kylo, why do you dress like your grandmother? Hux said you were born on Chandrila, not Naboo.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don't have to dress like this. I want to. I don’t want to forget her. She left behind diaries, my mother never realised. She and my grandfather were so in love. They knew no matter what happened they were bound together in the Force. She was willing to risk her life to serve her people.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo twists his hair up with golden pins, smudges on golden flakes over his eyelids, takes a long look at himself in the mirror. “But I guess I don’t really know what that’s like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The party is dull, Rey vanishes immediately with her assistant friends so Kylo’s left to drink alone. So he does the most stupid thing he can think of, and gets absolutely wasted. No one bothers him for once, so he sits at the bar, orders cocktail after cocktail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sends messages to Hux, stupid sloppy admissions of want; desperate offers of sex and power. Hux messages back, and Kylo can imagine him sitting in some pristine, sterile quarters on his own ship, laughing at Kylo’s messages, playing along for his own amusement. He misses Hux. How terrible is Kylo’s life if the only person he can talk to freely is a General of the First Order? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey finds him as the evening is winding down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh Senator, let’s go sober you up.” she says loudly in a pseudo-sympathetic tone. She takes his arm and leads him out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stumbles a few times, but she holds him up easily with the Force, digs her fingers into his arm. He vomits into a flower bed and she holds his hair back. It’s almost like having a friend. It’s been so long since he’s had one he’s not even sure if this is what friends do for each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At his apartment she feeds him two protein bars and three cups of caf and by the time she’s putting him to bed two hours later, he’s pretty much sobered up. She’s about to leave when he remembers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you meet who you needed? Tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nods. “Everything is in place, don’t worry about it. Go to sleep, Kylo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t. I feel jittery from the caf.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh so it’s the cafs fault, not the nine grappaberry cocktails you had?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you know-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I watched you, made sure no one bothered you. I’ve told you. We should work together. We’re stronger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo’s not sure why he does it, but he reaches for her then, pulls her close enough to kiss. She looks up at him, one eyebrow quirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure about this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wants to reassure her, to tell her that this is what he wants, but instead he blurts out something that’s been on his mind all night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss Hux.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kisses her then, and she kisses back, warm hands finding his face, holding his jaw. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get undressed, then get on your hands and knees. On the bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He steps out of his gown and shoes, and climbs on the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey opens the drawer next to the headboard, and gives a low whistle at the toys inside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice collection. Pity I didn’t bring a harness. Hux likes that, likes to be stuffed up nice and full.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Kylo hadn’t been hard already, that comment would have done it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She plucks out a golden plug. “Maybe you could wear this on the Senate floor tomorrow. Matches your outfit from tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t used that one in a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her fingers trace along his back, down between his cheeks, brushing his rim with a finger tip, rubs the twitching furl of muscle with one fingertip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Want it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nods so quickly she laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey squirts some lube onto her fingers, presses one finger tip into Kylo. He breathes out, and it slides in easily up to her second knuckle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at you, your needy little hole is swallowing up my finger without any trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She twists the finger, smearing the lube, then slowly adds another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s not long until he’s face down on the quilt, groaning as he takes three of her fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish Hux was here.” Kylo hears himself slur out again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey scissors her fingers briefly and he gasps at the sudden stretch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I’d get you nice and loose like this and he could just slide in. Fuck you like you clearly need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moans in response as her fingertips drag over his prostate again and again and he feels his orgasm building, sparks of pleasure building up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she pulls her fingers out suddenly, and he feels himself gaping for a second before he whines in protest. He reaches for his own cock, and his hand is pinned to the mattress by the Force. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah ah, no orgasm for you yet, I want to come first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She eases the golden plug into him, and he clenches down on it, but it’s not enough, it’s nice and thick, but shallow. Rey lies down on the pillows towards his head, lifts her dress up, wriggles out of her knickers. She lets her thighs fall apart and Kylo can’t help but stare, to drag his gaze up her bare thighs, to between her legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He spreads her wide, dips his head down. He’s probably got the pressure all wrong, very out of practice at this particular act, but she moans at the first swipe of his tongue, twists her hands in his hair, sharp prickles of pain on his scalp, and he shifts, rocking his hips against the mattress, shifting the plug inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘You like that’</span>
  </em>
  <span> he hears in his mind. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>The pain.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She scrapes her short nails along his shoulders, draws thin lines of blood, pulls his hair so hard he feels tears form in his eyes. He fucks into her with his tongue in retaliation, sloppy and rough, and she squirms when he works two broad fingers into her, clenching down on them, rocking against his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thinks about how her cunt would be tight like this around him, how wet and hot she’d be around his cock. She meets his eyes, as if she’d heard him and comes, and she finally lets go of his hair. His scalp tingles slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I?” He’s not completely sure what he’s asking for, just that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wants</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks down at his cock, angry and red and dripping and has the audacity to laugh, swinging her legs off the bed, brushing her dress down her body to lie flat again as leaves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not. See you tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo lies on the bed for a moment, furious. He folds the cover of his datapad, sets it up to film the bed area. He tugs the plug out and selects a toy, just a simple dildo and thinks about Hux doing this to him, how he’d push Kylo down on the bed and fuck him like he needs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo’s been good, he’s done everything Hux had asked of him, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>deserves </span>
  </em>
  <span>this. He works the dildo into himself, turns to look at the camera. It doesn’t take long, it fills him up, and he comes, gasping Hux’s name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sends the video to Hux before he thinks it through, brain foggy from orgasm, then falls asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux is waiting in his office when Kylo strolls in late, hungover and tired. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell are you thinking? Also, you’re late.” is Hux’s greeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo blinks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi to you too. I haven’t seen you in weeks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you thought you’d send me, what, pornography?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo’s definitely not had enough caf for this. “I sent you a private video. A reminder of what you’re missing out on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what if the message had been intercepted? A Senator on video pleasuring himself, calling out my name? I’m not meant to be here, I’m not meant to be known anywhere, not yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, not yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m building something. After that the Order will reveal itself to the galaxy, with me as the architect. Your video could have put that at risk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But did you like it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux flushes. “Yes, of course I did, but that’s not why I’m here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo grins at the admission, sits behind his desk and gestures to the other chair. Hux sits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what can I help you with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a vote about deep space telemetry this afternoon. I want the bill quashed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? I’m not even on that committee. It’s a science matter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux waves his concerns away. “Don’t worry, Rey will get you on it. One of the other senators is going to be extremely ill after lunch. Tragic. Vote yes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo frowns. “Why am I voting yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux leans forward in his chair. “Plausible deniability. Do that, and I’ll come to your apartment tonight and explain. Understood?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo tries his best not to fall asleep while the science committee head explains the telemetry to the waiting senators. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It conclusion, it picks up any build up of dark energy. My whole team has worked really hard on this project, we hope it’ll pass! Thanks for listening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s sitting in the back row, fingers twitching, and one by one the senators vote ‘no’, eyes glazing over as they press their thumbs to the voting pads. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo votes ‘yes’. He’s the only one to do so. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The committee head looks extremely disappointed when the display reveals the vote had rejected her bill, and she leaves quickly after. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other senators break out of their dazes, looking around in confusion, murmuring to each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo claps his hands together once and the room falls silent. He’s never done this on a scale like this before but he pushes out with the Force, makes his voice ring out sweet and clear as he addresses them, every person turning to face him, one by one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The committee is going to reformat the bill to reflect the issues we had with it, we’ll vote again next month. Is that clear?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They nod, and murmur agreements, clearly glad that Kylo seems to know what is going on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Out. Please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They leave the room, so only Rey and Kylo remain. He spins towards her. </span>
</p><p><span>“Where’s the subtlety</span> <span>in</span><em><span> moving their fucking thumbs</span></em><span>?” he almost shouts at her.</span></p><p>
  <span>“It couldn’t pass. I had no choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is the Order planning? Tell me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He pushes toward her with the Force and she snarls back at him, as immovable as a rock face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Ask Hux to tell you. I can’t.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo barely has time to shower and change before the door buzzes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Rey and Hux stand there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think both of you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey pushes past him, heads to the bedroom. “Surprise! Also, I need an outfit for an assistant’s party tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Hux is pressing Kylo against the closed door, fingertips tracing his lips, holding his jaw. Kylo tries not to swoon. It’s been almost nine weeks since Hux has touched him like this. He shouldn’t need someone as much as this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo puts one hand on Hux’s chest and pushes him a step away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Not until you tell me what you’re doing. I’m not a...toy you can command.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux raises one eyebrow at that. “I’ve never thought that. You’re the most powerful person in the entire galaxy outside the Order right now, did you know that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well you’ve done a terrible job at letting me know that. We’ve been doing whatever </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>is for over a year and I don’t even know if you kriffing </span>
  <em>
    <span>like </span>
  </em>
  <span>me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey clears her throat. “I’m gonna go find an outfit. Try not to kill each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo balls his hands into fists, tries to steady his breathing. He feels ridiculous, like a teenager standing in front of a crush, asking if they liked him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux sighs. “I’m sorry Kylo. This whole thing started because I needed to get you on my side, on the Order’s side. I never meant for it to turn into anything beyond business. But you somehow worked your way into my life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo grins. “Like a worm, or a parasite?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux rolls his eyes but smiles back. “No, like a friend. A lover. Both.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what’s the Order doing with these votes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re building a superweapon. We’re going to fire it, and then after that the galaxy will realise the First Order has the right idea: removing disorder from the galaxy, so that civilization may be returned to the stability that promotes progress. The New Republic is the first target.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What will become of us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you’d join us. Develop your powers, go beyond that Sith/Jedi binary and use your powers for the Order”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nods. “Okay. I’ll join you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux stands then, kisses him deeply. Kylo leads Hux to his bedroom, and Hux sits on the edge of the bed, Rey’s half in the closet, digging through his clothing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Strip for me, darling.” Hux asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo’s tunic and trousers come off easily, and he feels exposed, standing fully nude while Hux watches him, still in full uniform, right down to his gloves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stunning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey turns at that and gives a low whistle and Kylo has the urge to hide, to cover himself up while they both appraise him, like he was livestock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux pats his knee. “Sit on my lap, pet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo carefully slides his knees on either side of Hux’s hips, drops his weight gently onto Hux’s lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux runs his hands up Kylo’s back, leather smooth on his skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, now let me kiss you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo obediently closes his eyes, opens his mouth. The kiss starts off almost sweet, a soft press of Hux’s lips to his, a sweep of his tongue against Kylo’s. It quickly becomes filthy, and Hux holds Kylo’s head between his hands, tongue fucks him, forces him to take it, to fight him for space in Kylo’s own mouth, chins spit-slick, mouths dripping. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo’s dizzy with it, and he’s aching to be touched when Hux finally pulls away, a line of spit trailing between them. Hux rarely does messy, but when he does it makes Kylo ache all over, that he’s made him lose control like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lie down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo awkwardly climbs onto his bed, and Hux presses him down onto the sheets, covers Kylo’s naked body with his own clothed one. The fabric is slightly rough against Kylo’s skin, but the full body contact is glorious, sending a white-hot flash of pleasure through Kylo when Hux’s thigh slides against Kylo’s cock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux kisses him again, then grinds down against Kylo, bites the join between his shoulder and neck and Kylo has to put his arms around him, to hold him in place so he can push up desperately, seeking more friction. There’s an invisible, tight grip around the base of his cock, and Rey grins at him, hand extended towards him. She’s changed out of her office wear, has put on one of Kylo’s old silk robes, tied it tightly shut around her waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s got the sleeves rolled up, the fabric flowing over her legs, almost as far as her ankles. It feels strange to see someone at home in his things, but it touches something inside him, a deep instinct, the same one he gets when he leaves a mark on Hux. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mine</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah ah, you don’t get to come, until we say.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo glares at Rey, then whines as the pressure increases, tries to suck in a deep breath to steady himself while Hux ruts against him. Kylo runs his hands up and down Hux’s back, silently urging him on. Someone might as well come if he’s not allowed. He feels a swirl of shame, being used like this, but he looks up to see both Rey and Hux staring intently at him, he’s their sole focus and he feels special, they’ve chosen </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux’s weight against Kylo’s body feels grounding, secure. Hux’s thrusts speed up, and he pins Kylo’s forearms to the bed, gloves soft against Kylo’s skin, and twists his hips, grinds against him harder, cock thrusting against Kylo’s hip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then they both hear the beeping of Hux’s datapad, Hux swears and scrambles off Kylo to answer it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s right there waiting, fingers twitching like she wants to touch. He can feel her anticipation like it’s a tangible thing, brushing against his skin. Kylo nods at her, so she puts one knee on the bed, leans over his body. Kylo wants to reach out, check if she’s wearing anything under the robe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gropes his pecs with her palms as if they were tits, fingers finding his nipples, pinching them between her index finger and thumb. It makes him squirm, so she does it again, pinching and twisting. He feels each twist in the pit of his stomach, in his balls. She traces a finger down one side of his face, onto his shoulder, as if there should be something there to trace, a scar, or a wound maybe. He’s dreamt of it, of blistering pain across his face, as if struck by fire, or lightning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you see?” he whispers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shakes her head and doesn’t respond verbally, instead scrapes and pinches at his nipples again and again and he hears a loud whimper and realises it’s his own voice betraying him. Hux glares at him, gestures at his datapad, mouths ‘be quiet’ at them both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo bites his bottom lip, half-closes his eyes. Rey bends down to suck his left nipple into her mouth, thumbs the other roughly. He tries to squirm away when she moves her mouth to his right nipple but she holds him in place and sucks, scraps her front teeth over the bud. It’s too much, but not enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leans back to admire her handiwork and he looks down and sees what she sees: his chest heaving, nipples red and puffy, cock aching. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux finishes his call, rubs a still-gloved thumb over Kylo’s right nipple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems you like a little pain, pet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nods, unable to articulate his feelings. He knows he just wants </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beautiful. Now suck me off.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo sits up but Rey’s already there, easing Hux’s cock out of his uniform trousers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey greedily sucks Hux down, and Hux watches Kylo through it. He comes and she carefully opens her mouth towards Hux. He gives her a sharp nod in return. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rises, then leans forward to straddle Kylo’s thigh, and kisses him. He opens his mouth to find her tongue pushing Hux’s cum into his mouth, then she waits for him to swallow it down, kisses him until the taste of it is gone. The robe has spread out around her, showing bare skin all the way down and she’s rocking against his thigh, hot and wet down there, as wet and hot as her mouth is on his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grips a fistful of his bedding, tries to focus on anything but the tiny noises she makes as she moves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to be in me?” Rey whispers, as if it’s a secret between the two of them, as if Hux wasn’t next to them, sitting in the armchair now, palming himself, half-hard again, just lazy tugs as he watches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nods. He’s dripping pre-cum, feels another fat bead of it rolling down his dick, and he’s gripping the sheets so hard he knows without looking that his knuckles are bloodless and white. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lies down but when he turns to begins to nudge into her she holds him back by the Force. Kylo takes huffing breaths trying to calm himself. Then suddenly the pressure is gone, and he pushes in, almost too hard but Rey grunts and arches her back into the thrust, digs her nails into his shoulder and kisses him savagely, panting into his mouth, biting at his lips. She keeps the grip tight at the base of his cock, so when she comes around him he twitches, but can’t come. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, please, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughs then and the grip around him vanishes, so he fucks into her, hard enough to shift her body up the bed. She scrapes her nails down his spine, yanks his head back by his hair and then he’s coming so hard he swears he sees stars. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rolls off her, unable to stand yet and she stretches out on the bed while he pants besides her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Clean her up.” Hux commands from where he’s sitting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo obeys, dips his head between Rey’s legs, spreads her wide and starts lapping up the mess he’s left behind. She wriggles against his face, so he presses his thumb against her clit while he sweeps over her folds obediently with his tongue until she’s clean, then keeps going. She comes again, and Hux makes a noise that could be approval. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door’s barely shut behind them before Kylo’s asleep. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s late one evening and they’re eating take out on the floor of his office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey holds a fine grip on the light and dark, balances it like Kylo'd balance a tumbler of fine alcohol in his hands, tilting it back and forth but never spilling a drop. He watches her while he eats and sees the ebb and flow of her power. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey does objectively bad things, but it's to liberate worlds from dictators that leave children starve, but then they have to live under the Order’s banner. He can tell she sees every action as justified, eye for an eye, for the greater good. She killed Hux’s father for him without a second thought, is ready to overthrow her mentor Snoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can see where Hux lies in the Force: nowhere. He’s neither Dark nor Light, his mind is a simple tally sheet of wins and losses, order and direction. It’s not that his mind is blank, or simple, but it’s a pure focus: the goals of the Order are Hux’s goals.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo wonders what it looks like inside his own head, if the Light Luke had cultivated has been blotted out with the Dark that had always been there, or if they’ve mixed, and he’s grey inside. A tangle of blurred lines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looks up from her own meal. “Have you meditated recently, Kylo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo shakes his head, puts down his forkful of food. “Not since I was training to be a Jedi. Seemed pointless, if the Force was leaving me alone, why would I try to connect with it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the thing...I don’t think the Force wants to leave you alone, I think Skywalker and Organa did something to you. A block.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo shrugs. “It’s been a long time since it was part of my life. I became a junior representative at 14, just like my mom did. I never needed the Force.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey shakes her head sadly. “You still don’t understand. The Force is not just something you need. It’s something you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Something that </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It makes up every breath we take, every beat of our hearts.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you say so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She reaches forward, stretches a hand to him. “Take my hand. You need a teacher.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo recoils. “I don’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey withdraws her hand, sits back, crosses her legs at the ankle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Why did you leave Skywalker’s school?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I don’t know. He had nothing to teach me, I suppose.” Kylo looks triumphant for a moment. “Told you, I don’t need a teacher.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember the night you left?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Like I said, it was a long time ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was an attack. A group called the Knights of Ren attacked, they were looking for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? I don’t remember that. I thought it was a random attack. Raiders, maybe.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey nods, like she knew he’d say that. “Your mother and Skywalker had taken you away that night. You were going to join the Knights, lead them. Skywalker had foreseen it. But because he wasn’t there to protect the other students, the Knights slaughtered everyone. That failing sent Skywalker into exile.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Snoke told me. He uses the Knights sometimes. They’re a separate group, but our goals sometimes line up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think I need a teacher because Luke stopped my education?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey grins at him, sharp and bright. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you need a teacher because together we could make this galaxy kneel to us, to the Order.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I can embrace the Dark, if it’s still in me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s always been there. It’ll always be there. The Dark Side isn’t the evil that Skywalker made it out to be. It’s part of life. Death. Pain. Destruction. Without a flower dying a seed cannot be created. Every year winter comes before a spring.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo doesn’t respond, and Rey continues. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel the pull of the Light. Every day. It’s like... a worm inside me, tugging at my guts. But I take that pull, that anguish and use to it focus on the Dark. Balance it within me. You could do that too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If, that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I decide to train with you, what’s the first step? Is it hard? Painful?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey grins. “It’s easy. Just take my hand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux is furious they’ve decided this is the best time for Kylo’s training, but Rey ignores his calls, focuses on Kylo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo in turn, meditates. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time starts to blend, to merge into one stream of consciousness. He awakens one morning to find a worried Rey by his bedside. He’s tired, as if he’s only snatched a few broken hours of sleep. She tells him he’s slept three cycles through, hasn’t moved once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closes his eyes in his office for thirty minutes and feels he’s lived ten lifetimes, sees a hundred different paths for people whizzing by:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sees a teenage Hux standing proudly next to an imposing woman dressed in Grand Admiral’s whites, Brendol Hux’s body by their feet, her gun smoking, happy for the first time in his life. He sees Hux dead on the floor of a star destroyer, discarded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sees Rey surrounded by friends, dancing in the rain. He sees her dead, alone in the Jakku desert, bones picked clean by wild birds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sees his own father struck through with a red ‘saber, falling. He sees himself on the bridge of a ship, Rey and Hux on either side of him, the galaxy stretched out before them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sees his mother alone in a salt mine, defeated, worn out. He sees her on the throne of Alderaan, grandchildren by her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey says it’s an awakening; that the walls that Luke built around him are crumbling, that the Force has always been there, but now it’s breaking free.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey meditates with him as much as possible. Kylo learns the calluses of her hands, knows where the tiny white scars of metal fragments still dot her knuckles as well as he knows his own hands. She’s an anchor, tethering his body to reality while his mind explores the galaxy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke had said meditation would calm his thoughts- but now his thoughts race more than ever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke always lied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s vanished off somewhere on a mission for the Order and Kylo finds he misses her presence in his office, even if she mostly napped and wrote messages on her datapad, rather than talked to Kylo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux visits him a few nights later, brings a bottle of wine, just like old times. They don’t even reach the bedroom, barely yank clothing out of the way; Kylo’s skirts hiked around his waist while he lets Hux push him down onto the sofa and rim him until he cries out, coming into his own fist. When Hux fucks him, it’s almost too much, he’s too sensitive, Hux deliberately hits his prostate almost every time, twisting at Kylo’s nipples and when Kylo comes again it feels like relief almost, his body shaking through the pain-pleasure-pain to come out the other side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo crawls into his own bed. Hux doesn’t stay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Kylo wakes the next morning he winces at his own reflection in the mirror, his makeup is smeared across his pillow, hair a mess, the sheer top he had left on snagged and ruined, beads missing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He throws the top in the trash, washes his face, lets it all go down the drain, swirls of black and red in the foam. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shaves, both with and against the grain to ensure his makeup stays smooth through his day's meetings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux has left two love bites on Kylo’s throat, but he wears a high collar and a layer of facepaint over it, even though he’d love to display them. Show the galaxy who he belongs to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another day. Another speech to write.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey makes Kylo train every day, to lift weights until his body aches, then lift them with the Force until he’s shaking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey tries to break into his mind, tells him that’s the first thing Snoke will do. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Think of an object.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A speeder.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A pair of boots.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Again. You’re not focusing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tries again and he pushes her out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. Again. Try think of something secret, that you need to keep safe. ” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His grandfather. The terror of being known. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not good enough. Again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bares his teeth to her, barely civil. Rey tries again, gets nothing from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. Again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The speech Kylo’s been practising all week flows smoothly, and he can see every face in the room is turned towards him, everyone is listening. When he finishes there’s a smattering of applause. It’s become easier and easier to command people’s attention, to smooth away the edges of conflicted thoughts in their minds.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can spot Hux’s bright hair from across the Senate floor, standing behind the visitor’s glass portal wall. Hux nods at him, and Kylo feels a flood of relief, that he’s been good, that he’s done enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey puts her datapad away. “I’ve cleared your appointments for this afternoon. You need to train today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It ends up with Kylo feeling a bit ridiculous, lying on the floor of his office, but Rey’d pushed him until he’d finally sank to the floor, at that point he’d decided a little lie down would be a good idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s sitting in her usual chair, one leg slung over the armrest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your defences are pretty solid now, but we’re going to have to push you past a certain point to allow you to access the Force fully again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What point?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey grimaces. “If I knew that, I’d tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She swings her leg a little, fiddles with the zip on the side of her boot before speaking again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had trouble breaking through to certain powers at the end of my training. Without which Snoke said I was worthless. So Snoke used pain; lightning bolts mostly, then set his guards on me. It worked, sort of- I broke through, my powers ascended- and I still failed. There were eight of them, versus me. His guards left me for dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo has no response to that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hux found me, brought me to the med-bay. He was going to kill me, when he saw me lying there unconscious, I was his only rival. But he realised that if we worked together, we could strike Snoke down together, when the time is right.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stands, reaches a hand out to Kylo, pulls him to his feet. “This is another reason why </span>
  <em>
    <span>we </span>
  </em>
  <span>need to work together. Snoke is still an issue. He accepted me back, but for how long? He’s hurt Hux too, physically, and taunts him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I can take pain like that. I’m not strong enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey gives a half shrug. “You’ll know when the time comes. I’ve heard of other ways, heightened emotions causing breakthroughs: a near death experience for example. We’ll work something out. In the meantime, I have a practice lightsaber for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...it’s a stick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And until you learn to use it, you’re not going anywhere near an actual lightsaber.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo scowls. “I used a lightsaber as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I know how to use one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you’d say that. Land a blow on me and I’ll give you a ‘saber.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo thinks he’s out of practice, that it’ll take a little while to warm up, but he’ll land a hit pretty quickly.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That foolish thought is squashed, and fast, as Rey dances around him, easily landing blows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His body aches, both from the blows and exertion, and his grip on the staff is slipping with the amount he’s sweating. His attempted blows become more angry, more reckless, and she sighs at him and continues to land hit after hit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s furious after she laughs at him when he slips on the rug so Kylo reaches out with the Force and tugs the rug from under her feet, just half an inch and she slides backwards with a yelp as she finds her footing again. Kylo takes advantage of her open right side and taps her on the stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smacks his staff away. “You cheated!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did, I’m sorry-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, it’s perfect. Snoke’s not going to be a fair fight. Well done.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She places her staff against the wall, reaches her hands out and two silver cylinders slide out of her bag. Rey tosses one to Kylo and he ignites it, tossing his practice staff on the floor. The crackling blue plasma revealed doesn’t surprise him.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This was mine, well, Ben’s. Wasn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey nods. “It was left behind at the Temple after Organa took you away, the Knights recovered it, along with any other ‘sabers or kyber they could recover.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He twirls it, and suddenly he’s twelve again, full of excitement because he’d finished building his lightsaber with his mother’s help. Han had supplied the casing, but left the</span>
  <em>
    <span> ‘kyber mumbo-jumbo’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>to Leia and Ben. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey ignites hers, and the twin crackling red blades lend her face a malevolent glow. Not for the first time, Kylo’s glad they’re on the same side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey cracks her neck, raises her ‘saber. “Ready for round two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia’s waiting for him outside his apartment. He’s exhausted down to his bones, had drifted to sleep in the taxi on the way home. The last person he wants to see is his mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where have you been all day, Ben? Your office was locked, you weren’t answering calls.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nowhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pushes with the Force and he whirls around to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know I can tell what you’re doing, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Leia</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You and Luke have a lot to answer for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughs it off. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pushes back and her laugh cuts off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You feel different, Ben.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kylo</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Like it’s been for the last ten years. I took a new name to distance myself from you, from Dad, to be closer to grandmother. She did the same, left behind Naberrie. Fresh start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lets the Dark rise and Leia’s eyes grow wide. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s happened to you? Who’s done this to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one. This is the path I’ve always been on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try contact Luke, Ben-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Dark pushes through Kylo at Luke’s name, tasting like liquorice in his mouth. Leia stops speaking, puts a hand to her own mouth, fear clear across her features as Kylo raises his hand in front of her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kylo</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Let the past die. Forget this conversation. Leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a heartbeat where she freezes, then her face relaxes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Kylo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turns and leaves without another word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next day Kylo stomps up and down the office, ranting about his mother while Rey and Hux look on curiously, slight confusion on their features, like he’s speaking Gunganese instead of Basic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux snaps his fingers and Kylo stops mid sentence. “As much as I enjoy seeing you getting worked up, your mother is not a threat to us at the moment. And neither of us have a frame of reference for the rest of the maternal baggage you have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey nods. “It worked though, didn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux looks sharply at Rey. “What worked?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo sighs, the fight gone from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I used mind control on my mother. Told her to forget the conversation and leave. It worked perfectly. I’ve never been able to influence another Force user before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux raises one eyebrow. “Interesting. Try to influence Rey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo raises a hand, sweeps it in front of Rey. “You will turn around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinks at him. “No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo tries again. “You will </span>
  <em>
    <span>turn </span>
  </em>
  <span>around. You will turn. Around. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>turn around. Turn around!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey yawns and Kylo sighs, drops his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey returns after a mission, and she’s bouncing around Kylo’s apartment, unable to sit still, waiting for Hux to visit. Kylo’d mock her, but he’s the same, looking up at the door every few minutes, making sure his makeup is immaculate when he passes a mirror, fingers twisting in his robe before smoothing it back down. He makes them both tea, but neither drink it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her anticipation tastes like a fizzing thing in his mouth, like sparkling wine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux finally arrives in the afternoon, Rey tells him about the mission and he kisses her. Kylo watches them, and realises what he feels isn’t jealousy, but longing. They’re in his apartment after all, they want him here, with them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux turns to Kylo, one arm still around Rey’s waist. “And what has my favourite Senator done for me recently?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo walks to him, allows Hux to place an arm around his waist too. “Everything you asked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux removes a glove, runs a bare thumb over the red lipstick streak on Kylo’s mouth, smudges it across his bottom lip. “Yes, yes you have. Very good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nips at his thumb, laps at the pad and Hux lets him. He takes the opportunity to suck Hux’s thumb into his mouth, takes it as deep as it’ll go, sucks it and Hux’s eyes darken before pulling his thumb out, wet and shiny. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we need to celebrate, the three of us. Everything’s in place on the base, I’m extremely pleased. We’re nearly there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air tastes briefly like snow, the crunch of it loud under regulation boots he’s never worn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s looking curiously at Kylo, like she can tell what he’s just experienced but Hux continues talking as if nothing was amiss. “The Supreme Leader should give the order any day now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux pauses while removing Kylo’s jewellery. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey’s discussed your Force problem with me. We’ve come up with a solution, that takes into account-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey interrupts him. “It’s not a battle plan, Hux.” She turns to Kylo. “It’s control. We’ll take it from you, and you’ll attempt to take it back through the Force when it feels right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When will I know when to take it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When it feels right.” she repeats. “Basically, I have no clue. You have to trust in the Force. And us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux scoffs. “This is less of a plan, and more of a series of events that may or may not help.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah well, your plan was to throw him off a building, see what happens.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux flushes. “That was a joke.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seemed serious!” Rey snaps back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo holds his hands up. “We can argue about this after, if it fails. What’s the plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey reaches out and loops of fabric whizz into her hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux nuzzles against Kylo’s cheek, presses a kiss to it before whispering in his ear.  “We’ll tie you down, and you’ll not come until we allow you. Clear?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo shivers. “Clear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo lies down on his back, places his hands in the loop at the top of the bed, lets Hux pull it taut.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a jostling of limbs, a brush of a thigh against Kylo, he's not sure whose. He can’t turn his head much with his hands above his head. He can see glimpses of Hux’s head, the curve of a bared shoulder but not much more. He’s waiting for the first touch, maybe Rey will pinch at his nipples again, maybe after they set him free he can return the favour, tease her breasts until they're pink and tender and she's squirming, maybe Hux will-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a moan from Rey and then the bed starts to shift and Kylo realises they’re fucking right next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tries to meditate, tries to calm his racing pulse, so he closes his eyes and focuses on the sounds they’re making.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s a mistake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can hear the clicking slickness of Rey as Hux fucks her, he can visualise every movement, maybe she hasn’t slid two fingers between their bodies to her clit yet, maybe she’s just enjoying being filled, claimed, focusing on sensation over completion. Kylo hips stutter in the air, getting no friction and no relief. He can imagine the stretch, the feeling of fullness and he groans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can hear their laboured breathing, soft moans and grunts and realizes he’s breathing in sync with them, gulping air down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They come and Kylo almost does too, but he manages to hold back, vision swimming with the effort it takes to hold himself back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux looms over him then, pushes two fingers into Kylo’s mouth. His fingers taste salty, and Kylo realises they’ve been in Rey and he sucks them down greedily, the blood-warm salt of them both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well done. You were very well behaved.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, please, please.” He’s not even sure what he’s begging for. Hux slackens the rope slightly, rolls Kylo onto his stomach, tightens it again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey runs something down his back, soft and cool. “I think this would be manageable pain. Just enough to push you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo tilts his head, sees a riding crop in her hands that she passes to Hux. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can take it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nods. He can do this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first hit takes him by surprise, a flash of sensation across the back of his thigh. It’s not particularly painful, more like a sharp snap. Hux hits him again, across one ass cheek, then the other and Kylo feels his face heat, so he presses his face to the cool pillows and waits for the next hit; which falls on his right thigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s peaceful, lying there, taking the hits, and Kylo knows he’s leaking, but he doesn’t dare move an inch, not even to move his cock against the bed as the crop falls, no matter how much he wants to. He drifts in and out, floating. He reaches for the Force and but he can only feel Hux, senses his focus, his attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s felt things from Hux before, the flash of surprise when Kylo first kissed him, the high of his orgasms. He’s never felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>before: Hux is thinking about how well Kylo’s taking the hits, that Kylo would do anything for him, how pretty and debauched he is right now and there’s a pulse of </span>
  <em>
    <span>mine mine mine </span>
  </em>
  <span>and despite the steady rhythm of his hand he knows Hux is losing it inside watching him submit and that’s better than any orgasm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux finishes, turns Kylo over again and Kylo gasps at the feeling of the cool sheets against the tender, hot skin where the crop had hit. He feels weirdly good all over, wants to rub his face against the bedding, curl up with Hux. He can’t form words, but he knows Hux understands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux runs a hand through Kylo’s hair, tenderly. “Well done. You were so good for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux goes down on Kylo without any further preamble, and Kylo groans. He loves Hux’s mouth, loves the sneer of it turned wet and slick for Kylo to use, but Hux pulls off just as Kylo feels his orgasm build. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey unties the loops around his wrists, and they rearrange him spread out on the bed, loops around his thighs so his knees are bent and he’s fully exposed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux opens Kylo up, brisk and efficient as usual, and the careless brushes of his fingers against Kylo’s heated crop stripes makes Kylo groan, wriggle against Hux, begging without words. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Rey’s idea, she thinks if we push you further than before, you’ll break through, gain your powers back. If it’s too much, tell me. I’ll stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo shakes his head, arches his back, lets his legs fall apart as much as the rope allows. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux strokes Kylo’s curls back from falling in his eyes, smoothes his fingers across Kylo’s brow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo thinks Hux has pushed his fingers back in until he realises he can see both of his hands. Rey’s kneeling on the bed now, eyes dark while she watches Kylo. The pressure inside is perfect, a slow brush against his prostate, a</span>
  <em>
    <span> nudge nudge nudge</span>
  </em>
  <span>, until he’s sweating, trying to hold back while Rey fucks him with the Force. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo whines slightly, and then the pressure increases, a steady rhythm that causes his eyes to roll back in his head. He briefly wonders why he hasn’t done this to himself before, but then again, Rey’s control is like a scalpel, until recently his has been is more like a sledgehammer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s about to come when the movement stops and a vice-like grip snakes around the base of his cock, and balls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux leans over, delicately lays his fingers on Kylo’s neck, squeezes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not yet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nods, swallows and feels his throat contract under Hux’s fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey swings a leg over Kylo, sinks down on his cock and he tries to gasp but only a hiss comes out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sets a brutal pace, fucking herself on him as if he was just a toy for her to enjoy. It almost hurts he’s so hard, and Hux’s fingers never move from his throat, so Kylo’s feeling a little lightheaded now, only able to suck in small sips of air though his lungs burn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey smiles down at him, runs a finger down his face in almost a sweet gesture. “I wish you could see yourself Kylo, you look beautiful. Powerful. And yet, you’re a tool for us to use. For the Order. For the Force.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can feel tears at the corners of his eyes, vision becoming blurry as the tears mix with his eyeliner. Rey wipes them away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rests one hand against the headboard, works two fingers against herself, fingertips brushing his aching cock. He feels her come, the quick heartbeat pulse of her around him and he’s sure he’s going to die, or explode. Maybe both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let the Force flow through you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She climbs off him and switches position with Hux, grip tight and sure, her familiar calluses pressed against the skin of his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux is at the end of the bed then, and pushes into Kylo as Rey lets her grip on Kylo’s throat go and Kylo gasps in a few burning lungfuls, coughs twice and Hux fucks him through the lightheaded moments that follow after and Kylo feels limp, wrung out. His body feels disconnected from the rest of him now, but Rey pets him through it, tells him how well he’s taking it. He doesn’t even know if Hux comes, body tingling all over as Kylo finally finds release, and he comes with a groan, vision briefly whitening out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he opens his eyes, everything in the room is floating. Hux looks bemused as he floats there, but Rey claps her hands together twice in excitement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect.” she breathes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux shoots her a look. “I think we broke him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo tries to sit up, but there’s nothing to push up against mid-air. “I’m fine. Just. That was a lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux kisses him then, and it’s a soft kiss, noses brushing as they pull apart. Kylo’s pretty sure it’s partly being loose-limbed and fucked so well, but he’s sure he loves Hux. He only realises he’s said it out loud when he sees Hux’s stunned expression. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey laughs. “He loves you too, Kylo. Trust me. It’s all that’s in his head sometimes. Now drop everything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a series of thuds and minor bangs as the entire room settles around them again. Kylo reaches out and they rise again, fall again. He brings a full glass of water to his hand without spilling a drop. He twirls the water in the air, places it back in the glass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo laughs, gathers Rey and Hux close to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s one with the Force again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Kylo opens the door of his apartment to Hux he can feel something’s wrong immediately, a dark smudge of pain across Hux’s Force signature. He reaches for Hux and he flinches away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux’s right arm is trembling as he starts to undress, fingers slowly clicking the bar and hooks of his tunic open. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Snoke?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is Rey okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux nods again. “She succeeded at her mission, Snoke was pleased with her. I had a temporary setback with the weapon. Everything is in place, but there was a minor calibration issue. Snoke decided I could be a cautionary tale to the other officers. He smashed me against the bridge floor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux slides his tunic off with a hissing breath between his teeth, gently shakes it down his arm rather than pulling it off. His arm is mottled with shades of deep purple, bleeding into reds. He grimaces at the bruising.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least my elbow’s not broken. This time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo’s not sure what he feels right now, ownership is too strong a phrase, but his brain is chanting</span>
  <em>
    <span> mine </span>
  </em>
  <span>and there’s a white hot rage inside, threatening to spill out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can’t wait to face Snoke, because he’s going to kill him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I-?” Kylo starts, reaching for Hux’s arm. Hux offers it up slowly, moving stiffly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I sprayed analgesic on it, but the bacta patches I had on the shuttle don’t work on subcutaneous hematomas, it’s a trauma pack, not every day first aid. You’d think an officer’s shuttle would be better supplied.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo closes his eyes while Hux grumbles about first aid kits and tries to focus on the bruising. There’s two main areas of trauma, below and above Hux’s elbow, so Snoke must have hurt him at least twice, two points of impact. Kylo grits his teeth, to hold back the Dark that threatens to flow at that realisation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hooks onto the Light, thinks of Leia placing cool fingers on Ben’s leg when he fell out of a tree. Thinks how Hux’s skin usually looks, how he has a spackling of freckles on his lower arm, a series of thin white scars across the crook of his elbow from Brendol’s neglectful parenting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kylo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo opens his eyes and Hux looks frightened. Kylo’s never seen Hux’s fearful before. Hux’s bruising is gone. His scarring is gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux snatches his arm back. He’s got full movement of the limb now. “What did you do?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...I’m not sure. I couldn’t do that before, when I was a padawan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux stares at him for a moment and Kylo ignores the bubbling terror inside his chest, that Hux is going to leave him, think he’s a freak-</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “I’m amazed by your powers. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux kisses him then, and Kylo sighs against his mouth. It’s been a year and a half now, in another time and place he’d have Hux on his arm at balls, to sneer down at those who dismissed Kylo’s legacy. He’d marry him, have a celebration that lasted a week. Anything Hux wanted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s only been months since he’s met Rey, but she’s part of his life that he can’t quantify, has brought out his Force powers in a way he never realised was possible. Sometimes it feels like she’s him, that they’re one person. Connected. He looks in the mirror and sees his dark brown eyes change to hazel sometimes, his hair lighten. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a future stretching ahead for them both, where his body is as strong as Rey's, his mind as sharp, powers as great. Well, almost. She’s got a level of control his temper will never allow him to have. But to stand shoulder to shoulder with her and Hux, together at the helm of the First Order- that’s the future Kylo sees the most clearly when he meditates. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux strokes a hand through Kylo’s hair, tugs lightly on his earlobe. “You’re lost in thought. Is it Force stuff? Want me to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo shakes away his thoughts. “Nope, stay, I got Nabooian champagne for us. To celebrate your weapon being complete.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What makes it Nabooian?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The price tag?” Kylo uncorks the bottle, takes a swig. “It’s really good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux takes the bottle, pours himself a glass, watches the bubble rise and pop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All these wanton excesses of the New Republic will behind us soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll miss them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux grins, drains his glass. “I’ll be happy when there’s peace and order across the galaxy. When that’s in place, maybe we can have some wanton excess back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think there might be some wanton excess left in my bedroom, General.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, is there, Senator? I should inspect that. Lead the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they reach Kylo’s bedroom, Hux turns him so they can see their reflection in his mirrored wall. Kylo’s wearing a black suit with a purple sash, purple jewels at his throat and wrists. Hux is in his uniform, as always. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at yourself, Kylo, is this sash Onderon silk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nods. “It belonged to my grandmother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo can feel the truth of it in the Force, but for the first time Kylo feels a little ashamed at his appearance. He’s hidden behind his makeup and finery for so long he’s not even sure who he is underneath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just going to freshen up. Have another drink, Hux.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo goes to the refresher, removes his jewelry, makeup, brushes the hairspray out of his hair so it lies curled and soft around his face. He wore this makeup to mark him out as the grandchild of Padmé. Now it was time to live up to Anakin’s legacy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes the sash and his tailored jacket off, leaves them hanging next to his towel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux is drinking from the champagne bottle when he returns. He gives Kylo an admiring look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You still look beautiful. Lie down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux tugs Kylo’s tunic up, sloshes some champagne onto across his stomach and licks it off. Kylo squirms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gets a brief glimpse into Hux's mind, of his own mouth, how he admires Kylo's mouth, what it looks like when his lips are wet and swollen from sucking cock. Kylo’s expression is open and bare in Hux’s mind, and Kylo feels a surge of affection. Hux loves him, with or without the makeup and fine robes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux licks again, spills some onto the sheet. “You'll have to leave this all behind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo sits up and reaches for Hux. “It’s okay. I won’t be alone anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Afterwards, Kylo curls up against Hux’s body. Kylo brushes his nose against Hux’s naked shoulder. “I didn’t think we’d end up like this. I thought it’d be angry handjobs in my office forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux laughs and pets Kylo’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I used to miss you. I’d come by the Senate sometimes, just to watch you. I kept thinking, if I don’t see him, then this means nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should have said.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what? We’d have dated? Our timing was terrible, I admit that. But it’s worked out. You’re now one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy, I’m on the edge of putting the New Republic on their knees. We’ve only got Snoke left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to kill him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey might have something to say about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>We’ll</span>
  </em>
  <span> kill him, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All of us. Together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This is the final vote Kylo’s ever going to attend. If Hux’s weapon is successful, everything the Order has worked towards for the last five years will be in place by sundown. Kylo’s here for nostalgia. To say goodbye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The votes light up on the wall, anonymised and randomised but Kylo can tell from skimming minds which way people will vote.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He recounts- the vote seems like it’ll be evenly split but there’s one vote left to cast. The senator in question has been in his seat for decades, is a good friend of Leia’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo lets some power out, pushes it towards the senator, into his mind. The senator selects his vote, presses a thumb to the data pad to confirm. The wall lights up. It’s done. The vote has passed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo pulls back, tries to slide out of the senator’s mind, but instead the senator turns, makes direct eye contact with Kylo. He looks horrified, as if he knows he’s a been a puppet and Kylo tries again to pull away, can’t, so he panics. He snaps the connection shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The senator’s eyes roll back in his head, and he flops onto the desk in front of him. His aide takes his pulse, shakes his head sadly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The senator was always kindly to him, Kylo recalls visiting his office with his mother as a child, being passed candied fruits, being praised for sitting quietly and doing homework.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The senate guards have started to make their way over to the senator and Kylo picks his datapad up, mutters excuses to those nearby as he brushes past. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey arrives at his office only a few minutes after Kylo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t answer her, just continues to pack his things. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sits in her usual chair and gives a low whistle as she looks around the office. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to miss this place y’know? Pity we’ve got to leave it all behind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo sniffs. “Yeah, well, I don’t have a choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey laughs. “Out of us three, you’re the only one who ever had a choice. You could have had a normal life Kylo; a partner, kids maybe, a long career in public service. Instead you chose credits, power and us. That’s on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He snarls back at her. “The Force would never have allowed a normal life. It’d always have been there, you said so yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, and you always had a choice. You think you were forced into a new path for yourself, but you didn’t, you’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>chosen </span>
  </em>
  <span>to follow Vader’s path now, just as you followed Padmé Amidala’s before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you saying this to me? Why are you being so cruel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you. There’s a winter before every spring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s datapad bleeps twice and she flicks the notification off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was the shuttle commander. We need to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shuttle flies through the busy atmospheric airspace of Hosnian Prime, then flies for another hour to deeper space where they switch to a sleek black Upsilon craft and leave the other one open for scavengers to strip and destroy any trace of their departure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey points at the ship that’s quickly filling the entire viewscreen. “That’s Hux’s ship, the Finalizer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ship is </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge</span>
  </em>
  <span>, bigger than anything Kylo’s ever seen, even in the ship graveyards his dad dragged him to, to find parts for the Falcon when he was a kid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’re in the rotation of a planet, it’s spherical, deep grey with a hollowed out ridge. Kylo thinks it looks like a weapon, but it’s far too big for that. He feels the same snow-taste he’d felt from Hux once, a combination of pine and ice laced with anticipation when he looks at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo sits in silence as the shuttle flies to the surface of the planet. Rey passes him a long, fur lined cloak and gloves he refuses to put on, until the shuttle door opens and frigid air hits him then he’s scrambling for them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shuttle has landed behind a huge stage, a huge blood red First Order banner hanging down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can feel the hum of thousands of ‘troopers beyond it, hear the whir of machines settling into place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s happening here?” he murmurs to Rey who shakes her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The shuttle commander overhears, and gives him a curious look but says nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey takes his arm, brings him over to where a group of senior First Order officers are waiting. They’re an interesting group: some view Rey with fear and trepidation; others respect her deeply and admire what she’s done for the Order. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One officer greets her, snapping a salute Rey doesn’t return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“General Hux is en-route, Commander Rey! This will be the Order’s greatest moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nods at her. “I believe it will be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a while another shuttle lands, bringing Hux. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nods at them both, and takes his place beyond the curtain, the other senior officers lining up with him. Rey pulls Kylo back when he starts to follow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have to stay behind here. It’ll be clear why.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey seems uncharacteristically nervous, and she takes Kylo’s hand. He’s still angry at her, but lets her thread her fingers with his, feels the anxiety coming off her in waves. What could possibly worry her this much?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The start of the speech is typical First Order propaganda, but when Hux mentions the fierce machine upon which they stand and suddenly pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place and Kylo can’t breathe suddenly, and Rey’s grip tightens in his, her eyes scrunching shut as if bracing for impact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-Last day of the Republic!” Hux shouts as the crowd cheers. “FIRE.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ground rumbles, air rushing past their faces and Rey’s on the verge of breaking Kylo’s fingers now, and she’s trembling all over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sky splits open into streaks of red and launch across the galaxy and then-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>IMPACT</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s crying silently, Kylo’d sob out loud if he was able to take a breath, his vision blurring as he weeps. Why didn’t she warn him-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He feels his mother’s death, a blink and you’d miss it moment as Hosnian Prime turns into spacedust. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It lasts maybe a minute, perhaps two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo tastes iron, realises his nose is bleeding. He passes out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he wakes up, it’s in a med bay..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey is sitting in the chair bed next to his bed, eyes bloodshot. She reaches across and he takes her hand again. It doesn’t matter to him now that she didn’t warn him. It wouldn’t have stopped the pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux is sitting on the side of Kylo’s bed, looking down at the two of them, but it’s not an unkind look. He rubs Kylo’s calf through the sheet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Kylo. It had to be done.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo can’t speak, voice too raw from screaming. He’s not sure what he’d say. That there was another way? They’d proved that was false. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Diplomacy was a lie. The Senate was corrupt, failed. His mother’s crusade was a lie. This was the only way, through destruction, to find order. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like taking a new name. Starting again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hux takes Kylo’s hand. “Stay here, on my ship? We’ll overthrow Snoke and remake the Order, for the three of us. For the galaxy. A new start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kylo nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He squeezes Rey’s hand, presses a kiss to Hux’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Let the past die. </span>
</p>
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